A Novel Peptide Vaccine Targeting CMV Antigens in Recurrent Medulloblastoma

Award: $200,000 over two years

Principal investigators: Eric Thompson, MD

Institution: Duke University

Funding Partner: Catching up with Jack

Recent findings have shown that cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens are expressed in 92% of medulloblastoma cases. Targeting CMV antigens through peptide vaccination is therefore a candidate treatment strategy for this type of brain tumor. This novel strategy will be tested in a pilot clinical trial of a rationally-designed vaccine formulation containing multiple CMV peptides. The trial will enroll children with recurrent medulloblastoma and the primary goals are to determine safety and immunogenicity.